Ditch-cleaner.



A. B. AMENT. DITCH CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, 1916. 1,278,555, PatentedSept. 10,1918.

m: Num-s Enns co4. Hamumm wAsumcmN. n4 c.

scription.

"JFigure 1 is a ANsoNBELA AMENT, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Biron-CLEANER. A

f Specica'tion'of Letters Patent,

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed December 12, 1916. SeralNo. 136,560.

VTo all 'whom t may concern:

g Be it known that I, ANsoN BELA AMENT, citizen of the United States,residing 'at Oakland, in the countyof Alameda and yState ofCalifornia,have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Ditch- Gleaners',of which the following is a specification. v This invention is 'animproved ditch cleaner, constructed and arranged to be drawn throughjaditch to remove the dirt, grass and othermaterial therefrom, and todeliver the removedmaterial at the sides of the'ditch.A The machineisprovided'at' its forward end with means'jfor engaging the end of theditchto lift itself out ofthe ditch.

rThe improvements`- and advantages ofthe invention will appearfrom thefollowing de- Referring to the Yaccompanying draw- 1ng:`-

longitudinal sectional view of the invention taken on line v1 of Fig. 2showing the same in operatingposition in a ditch. Y' Fig. 2 is a planview of the invention.

i ditch and carryfthe rear end of `said body.

The trough is open Vat the bottom at its forward portion to receive ashoe 4 which is pivoted at its forward end at 5 to the forward end ofthe trough ata point above the bottom of the trough and is inclineddownward from its pivot to a plow blade 6 which blade projectsVYforwardly and downwardly from the forward en'd of the bottom of thebody 1. The rear end ofthe shoe 4 is pivot'ed 'toone end ofa pair oftoggle links 7, the forward ends of which are p ivotally connected to ashaft 8 `extending transversely offthe shoe and apair of toggle links 9arepivoted at one end to said shaft and are connected at theirother'end'toa rock shaft 10 extending transversely .of and journaled inthe side walls of the body 1. A rotary cutter 12 is mounted onthe shaft84 and is adapted to project throughy a slotd 13, extending'centrallyand longitudinally inthe shoe and jeuts a longitudinal slit in thematerial in the'bo'ttom of the ditch whenL the shoe is raisedy to permitthe plow blade to plow up thematerial in the bottom of the ditch,whereby the layer of material passingover the plow'blade isseparatedinto two slabs.

Anupwardly extending arm 15 is secured to the shaft 10 and to its upperend is connected the forward end of a rod 16 which extendsrearwardlygthrough va bracket l17 extending upwardly from a foot board18 which extendsacrossV thev top of the body 1 at'the rear end thereof..On the rear porvtion of the rod16is provided a plurality ofte'eth 19forl engaging therear faceV of the bracket to hold the rear end of theshoe 4 at different elevations, vwith relation to theplowblade, as shownin"Fig. 1. Atthe sides of the plow blade are provided side cutters'20`for cutting and cleaningthematerial froml the .sides ofthe ditch. In-

:clined' upwar'dlyfrom theupper rear end ofthe plowblade` at the sidesthereof, are

two conveyers 21, each of which comprises ajtrough 22,in the :bottom ofwhichtravels the upper strand offan endless belt 23, which travels overrollers 25V and 26 journaled in the lower and upper ends vof the troughrespectively, 'and also over a roller 27 near the upper "end of ther.trough, the lower strand of said conveyer traveling under the trough.Pulleys 30 are secured on the ends of the shafts 31 of rollers'26 and apair of pulleys 32 and a pulley 33 are secured on a i shaft 34 `journaled in bearings 35 at the rear' of the body 1 at Vthe upper edge ofthe side walls thereof. A. belt 36 extends over the roller 3 `and pulley33, Vwhereby said pulley f and pulleys 32 are driven from saidroller,

and beltsv 37 extend over pulleys 32 and 30 for driving the rollers 26so as to ca use the upper strand of the belts 23 to travel upwardly inthe troughs 22 to convey the material' from the plow blade upwardly insaid troughs. The inner walls of the troughs 22 converge to a point 4 0above the plow blade 6V and in alinement with the rotary cutter 12 so asto guide the two slabs of ma'- teria'l cut 'by the cutter 12,`pl`o`wblade 6 and i l spectively. A pairv of delivery conveyers 45 extendoutward froni'the sides of the conveyers2l in a downwardly andrearwardly inclined direction to @deliver Y the. material from the upperendsof the conveyers 2l over the sides of the dit-ch. lTheconveyers'4'5- comprise troughs 46 which communicate endless belt 47extendsA over rollers 48V and.

49 journaled at the upper and 'lower ends"A ,of thetroughs 46, theupper. strand ofthe belttravelingi'nthe bottom of saidl troughs and thelower: stra-nd travelingunder the troughs. The material passing,v fromthe conveyers 21 into thefeonveyers 45- falls onfthe belts 47 andvthe=weight o f-the material A' 4'causes the upper'strand of the belttotravel downwardly vby gravity and'deliventhe ma-k terial from theouter ends oftheconveyers A47f01ver vthe sides of the ditch'. CurvedYguides 50 lead from the upper end ofthe inner walls of the troughs tothefupper ends of theV rear walls ofthe troughs 46,

lwhich guide thematerifal from the upper.

end of the conveyers 22finto the vupper end of the conveyers 45. TheElower edgesof said guides rest close tothe upper strand of the vbelts 23 and scrape thel material, adhering .to thel belt into the .conveyer45., For'icon- .veyi'ng certain. kinds of material 'upwardly I'from'the'plow blade an. endless-Chinese elevator55ris` yused in con-jy4'notion with-.the confveyer belt 23, as shoivninV Fig.=4. j -A crankaXle y6 0A is jou ,naled 'n bearings 6l at "thetopz of thev side walls.of thea body lfab'ove the plow blade 6, on"' the.crank endsof whicharel journaledwheels 62. 'A

Arod 63 is secured to the aXle midway thereof byl means of which theaXl'e may be turned kin,itsbearings to swing the'lwheels 62 up ordown-so that they may travel `alongthe groundl a'tthe sides of the ditchwhenthe body lisfin the ditch, vor along the ground .on aI level withroller 3 to carrythe forward .end of ythe body lk when the body is loutof the ditch. The wheels lmay `be locked in the latter position byswinging the rear end ofthe rod 63 into engagement with a lug 65projectingupwardly from a vseat66 at'the rear of thebody l-. An eye 7,0extends from the forward end ofthe body l to. `which is hooked by hook71 a draft board 72 and into which extends theV vertical leg ofanian'gular bracket 73, thehorizon'talfleg of which' is pivoted at`itsfbrward end at 74 tothe forward end` ofy the draft board 72, A'double y' tree 75 is connected to'the'angle portion of the bracket V,73extending-above and `over Vthe sideslof `the ditch, to which the rearmules arehitched; todraw the machine. double tree' 76 is connected.to'the forward end-.of` the draft board 72,. eXtending above and over`the si'des'of the ditch,l to which ,the l forjw'ard mules are.lltelied.;`

l/Vhen the machine comes tothe end of the ditch, the operator on theseat 56disengages the rod 16V from the bracket 65 :and pushes litforward until theV rear end of shoe 4, Ythrough. themediimrof armv 15,shaft 10, links 9, shaft 8 and links 7, is swung down "upon-*the bottomof theditch below they I point Vof the plow blade 6 as shown in Fig.Vat, theirfupper vends with Y troughsv 22.7l if' 3*." [fhelinclined draftboard 721and the' inolined Yshoe 4 engaging the end of 'the ditch liftVthe `forward end of the4 machine out of the end of the, '.dit ch.,whereupon the wheels 62 ,swing 'downgo-n the ground belowthe.,,forward"end of thefbottom Vof body Vl.. The rear .end of the rod63is then*` brought into engagementwith'the Alugj65 `and the j wheelsafre'locked .in thcir ysupporting posi.-

tion.. The. rearfrollen it rolls up theV end ofthe ditchY lifts the rearend of the machine out .of the ditch. By adjustingthe rear; end .of :the:shoe 4 diiferent1 disy tanc'es'from thefplow 'blade the thickness ofVVtl,1'e' dit ch maybel variedA A vWhen the. machine -comesto the1 endof of'the slab of material Vcut fromthe'bottom Y the ditch the wheels62`.:may be swung fdownwardlyby the rod 63'ufpon the ground e' upon theweteetfof.

bod aplow blade at thev forward part 'of i the ody,'.a shoeforward ofsaidA plow blade and havingI lforward, end connecting toV said body andits rearendspa'ced above the rcutting ledge of -theplow blade, a rotaryvcutter',said shoe being provided with a cen.- .tral' longitudinalfslotthrough which said rotary cutterextends and is adapted to cut thematerial atthe bottom of the ditchrint-.o

two =L slabs, yand,.means for, respectively con` .veyingk the slabs.anddelivering the same tof Lthe sides of the ditch.v

2. A ditchwcleaner l comprisingfa: body,

meansffor. mounting etherear of. the ribody, a

plow blade fat. the forward part Vof said body, shoe.' forward.l of'said plow blade and having its forward end pivoted to the forward end ofsaid body, a. rotary cutter, said shoe' being providedv with a centrallongitudinal slot, means for raising the Y rear yend ofsaid jshoe abovevsaid plow blade. to enable the. plow blade to plow the ditch and tocause said cutter vto project through said slot to `cut the sod plowedout of the. botfV tom of. ditch into two. slabs, and means forrespectively conveying the two'slabs and delivering the same Vat,t herespective y.sides v of theditch, 'g 3L cleaner comprising( a bod-y,

means for mounting the rear end of the body, to out the sod into slabs,adjusting means for a low blade at the forward part of said raising andlowering the rear end' of said bo y, a shoe forward of said plow bladeand shoe above and below plow blade, and means l0 having its Jforwardend pivoted to the forfor respectively conveying the two slabs and 5ward end o said body.` saidV shoe being prodelivering the same at thesides of the ditch. vided with a central longitudinal slot, a Intestimony whereoI aiX my signature. rotary cutter extending through saidslot ANSON BELA AMENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

